Animation: A World History

10Silent Oceania

Australia

Australian cinema dates back to 1896 with the production of documentaries. The very first feature film in living memory is Charles Tait’s The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906). That florid age ended with the arrival of the sound track, and except for one or two unusual films, the Australian filmmaking industry did not regain prominence until the 1970s and 1980s when government agencies offered opportunities to talented actors and directors.

During World War I, Harry Julius animated political vignettes with cut-outs for the newsreel the Australian Gazette. These one- or two-minute films exhibited better-than-average drawing and technique and, presumably, Julius incorporated such skills into the lightning sketches he created ...